House votes to name Miss. River bridge after Musial

WASHINGTON (KSDK) - The U.S. House voted Tuesday on what to name the new Mississippi River bridge.

The last piece of the bridge over Interstate 70 is supposed to be put in place in mid-July, and it's expected to open early next year.

Tuesday afternoon the House passed the bill to name the structure the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The Senate previously voted to name it the Stan Musial Bridge. They will need to vote again to approve naming it the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The name will be finalized once President Obama signs it into law.

Sen. Claire McCaskill said: "This effort has always been about honoring a St. Louis hero, and I'm thrilled we're on the cusp of doing just that. But I won't stop until the job is done?and that's something I expect to happen very soon."

During his remarks on the House floor, Congressman William Lacy Clay said: "As the U.S. Representative who has the honor of representing the St. Louis Cardinals, it is a special privilege for me to speak about Stan Musial from the perspective of a Member of Congress, and also from the memory of a young boy at old Sportsmen's Park with my Dad, former Congressman Bill Clay, as we watched Stan play near the end of his remarkable career.

"Stan Musial was simply one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, he helped them win three world championships. He won 7 national league batting titles, three most valuable player awards, and at the time of his retirement in 1963...Stan Musial held 17 individual major league baseball records."

Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) released the following statement after the vote: "I am thrilled that the House voted today to name the new Mississippi River Bridge after our hero 'Stan the Man.' Stan Musial was more than just a great baseball player; he emboldened the virtues of an outstanding citizen," said Wagner. "As a World War II veteran, he left his professional baseball career to serve his country and never lost his zeal for public service. Throughout his life he always put his community first and he will be truly missed. Hopefully this bridge will remind the people of the St. Louis region about the greatness of Stan Musial and the virtue of public service and community."

You can watch CongresswomanWagner'sfloor speech to name the new bridge after Musial below.